Shiite rebels in northern Yemen accused the Saudi army of launching a major cross-border ground and air attack on Monday. "The Saudis began an attack along many fronts on the Yemeni border," said the Huthi rebels.

The Saudis are using "all types of ground and air weapons," including tanks, artillery, rocket launchers, Apache helicopters and jet fighters, they said in a statement, cited by AFP. Earlier, the Huthis accused Riyadh of bombing villages, following what they called a failed Saudi incursion. "The (Saudi) air force began bomb and missile attacks on various villages in the Malahidh, Shedah, Hidan and Razah areas" of northwest Yemen, they said in a separate statement.

Saudi aircraft also bombed Saqin near the city of Saada, they said, as well as Saada suburbs and a central security building inside the city. Dahyan had likewise been targeted.

The Saudi-owned pan-Arab newspaper Al-Hayat on Monday quoted the Saudi military's southern command as saying it had captured 965 Yemeni infiltrators over the previous two days.